County inspection fees on the rise

CInspection fees and residential building permit fees will increase slightly in 2013, after the Cheboygan County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted its fee resolution on Tuesday for the upcoming new year.

CHEBOYGAN — Inspection fees and residential building permit fees will increase slightly in 2013, after the Cheboygan County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted its fee resolution on Tuesday for the upcoming new year.

According to a report by County Administrator Jeff Lawson, the county reviews its fee schedules on an annual basis to determine if changes are needed. Only fees that are charged by the county and are not statutorily set are reviewed.

A recommendation to increase two construction-related fees within the Building Safety Department will be implemented in an effort to close a funding gap in that department, Lawson explained.

He noted that an allocation from the general fund has been required over the past several years to balance a shortfall in that department. For 2013, a total of $81,467 is projected for an allocation, Lawson said.

“The last time the building fees/rates were adjusted was in 2007,” Lawson said. “That’s why there was a recommendation to raise these fees.”

The first change is an increase to additional inspection, rough inspection and final inspection fees for mechanical, plumbing and electrical permits from $30 to $50. This brings the fee in line with previously approved building inspection fees, and would closely match the county’s cost for one inspection.

Lawson said comparables from other surrounding jurisdictions were also reviewed, and the fees were raised to match the cost of similar fees charged throughout the region.

The second change is an increase in the multiplier for residential building permits, from .0038 to .0040, to bring the residential multiplier in line with the previously approved commercial multiplier, according to Lawson’s report. This results in a 2.4 percent to 4.4 percent increase on most residential permits.

“The amount varies depending on the size of the project,” Lawson said. “For example, there is a smaller increase in fees for smaller homes.”

Multipliers are one of the components used in calculating the cost of permits, Lawson noted. Even with the increase, the county’s multiplier is the second lowest based on the comparables in the area.

Lawson said in the case of a new 1,800 square foot residence on a crawl space with a 24-foot by 24-foot garage and a 300 square foot porch, the building permit fee would be raised from $749.50 to $784.19, an increase of $34.69.

Based on inspection levels from 2011, the increase in those fees for 2013 could increase revenue by nearly $30,000. An estimate of revenue generated from the increase in the multiplier would depend on the specifics of each individual project.

“There will still be quite a funding gap, so we will still need to look for ways to make this department self-sufficient,” Lawson said.

Some other adjustments were made in the 2013 fee resolution, but they were either items that had been erroneously omitted previously or they have insignificant financial impact.